TURTLES OF THE MIDNIGHT MOON

An eco-mystery brings two girls together in Honduras.

Imbued with hints of magical realism, this novel follows Barana and Abby’s unfolding friendship and places an environmental mystery at the forefront. Both girls are 12, but they come from different worlds. Barana resides in Pataya, a small Honduran beach town where she knows everyone. Her priority is the leatherback turtles, especially Luna, a turtle she has a special connection to and looks for every year during nesting season. In New Jersey, Abby is mostly trying to work out how to survive the loneliness of sixth grade since her best friend moved away. When Abby’s doctor father has to spend a couple of weeks in Pataya for work, Abby begs to come along, eager to finally visit his home country (her mom is a White American). The two girls meet when Abby and Papi stay in Barana’s family’s guesthouse. They don’t get along at first, but eventually, the threat to the turtles’ nests from poachers leads them to work together to identify and catch the culprits. Although the story initially moves slowly, the vividly drawn Honduran setting makes up for the dragging first half. The coastal atmosphere is magical and enchanting, and the friendship between the main characters is very sweet.

A character-driven mystery in which the setting pops out.